Fiber cleaner



Jain. 13, 1959 M. MAYER, JR", ET AL FIBER CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 195'! INVENTORS MAYER MAYER Jr. JAMES l. KOTTER ATTORNEY BY I 84 Jan. 13, 1959 M. MAYER, JR., ET AL 2,8675850 FIBER CLEANER Filed Nov. 12, 1957 J 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

- FIG. 3.

FIBERS TRASH INVENTORS MAYER MAYER, Jr. JAMES KOTTER 21 jaw.

q ATTORNEY trash as they flow therein.

FIBER CLEANER Mayer Mayer, Jr., New Orleans, and James I. Kot ter, Metarrie, La., assignors to the United States of America as'represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Application November 12, 1957, Serial No. 696,002

' 4 Claims. or. 19-58) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),sec. 266) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in United fitates Patent the invention herein described, throughout the world for .essential features of the invention, the forwardportion of the figure being a section;

Fig. 2 which is an elevation of one side of the cleaner showing a detail thereof; and

Fig. 3 which is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure l.

Rotatable fiber processing cylinder 10, onto which fibers are fed by any desired means, is mounted parallel to and adjacent rotatable dofler cylinder 11, so that the adjacent faces of the processing and dofler cylinders move in the same direction. The doffing cylinder is provided with radial brushes 12 on its periphery which run close to but out of contact with fiber processing cylinder 10. The adjacent face of the dofi'er cylinder moves at a greater speed than that of the fiber processing cylinder. Briefly the operation of this phase of the separation relates to the doffer cylinder, which is enclosed in a housing 13. This doffer cylinder is essentially hollow. Air is admitted through openings in the housing oneof which is.

shown at 14, a similar construction being provided on the opposite side of the cleaner (not shown) and into the interior of the doffer cylinder 11. The air then flows through the cylinder 11 and then radially outwardly between the brushes 12.

The above described portion of thecleaner opens and loosens the fiber containing trash so that the particles of trash are better separated from the fibers. The opening of the fibers results from the fast movement of the doifer brushes striking those fibers lying outside or on the surfaces of the processing cylinder. As the brushes advance,

' the air rushing through the open portion of the dofier cylinder blooms and further separates the fibers and completely dotfs the more firmly held fibers.

For a more detailed description of the operation of these cylinders reference is made to the above-mentioned patent.

The air-flow from the doffer cylinder 11 carries the trash and fibers into the fiber-trash separating conduit 15. This conduit extends downwardly and curves horizontally, thus giving the effect of centrifugal force to the fibers and The bottom of this conduit contains partitions 16 which extend the entire length and beyond the bottom of this conduit forming troughs along its bottom.

It has been found that while the air flow conveys the Patented Jan. 13, 1959 ice I conveyed along the conduit to its exit 19.

The fiber-trash separating conduit opens into a trash box 22 which is provided with conventional screw type conveyer 23 at its bottom portion for removing collected trash. This trash box communicates with the entrance 24 of a low pressure conduit 25 at a point which is near perpendicular to the exit 19 of the fiber-trash separating conduit 15. ,Low pressure is maintained in this low pressure conduit by means of a suction fan (not shown).

Adjacent the exit of the fiber-trash separating conduit and below the entrance to the low pressure conduit is an adjustable rectangular divider 26, adjustable to enable a variation in the division of fibers from trash as they flow from the fiber trash separating. conduit. This divider is manually adjustable in two directions. It is adjustable, by means of a single horizontal pivot 27 at its forward edge, in both a vertical and clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This horizontal pivot extends outside the trash box at each side through slots such as shown at 28. This pivot is operable according to the struction as revealed in Fig. 2. v

The pivot when moved up and down enables the divider to be so placed that the discharge of the fiber and trash, as it enters the trash box, may be separated along its forward edge 32 for. deflection into a fiber layer and a trash layer. The fiber-layer passes on top of the divider and is deflected upwards and the trash layer passes on the bottom of the divider and is deflected downwards into the trash box by means of deflector plate 33 attached to the dividers forward edge. The exact vertical adjustment at which the divider is to be maintained varies with the grade of fiber being separated and the type of trash ejects the fiber and trash from the fiber-trash separating conduit the fibers above the troughsare deflected by the edge of the divider along the top of the divider. Along the top of the divider there are two forces which cause an acceleration in the'flow of fibers upwards into the low pressure conduit. One force results from the suction from the suction fan. The other force results from increased rate of air-flow caused by the narrowing of the area between the exit of the fiber-trash separating conduit and the entrance to the low pressure conduit through adjustment of the horizontal pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l.

Once the divider is adjusted whereby the maximum amount of fiber of the desired degree of cleaning is being deflected into the low pressure conduit it remains fixed until the grade of fiber or desired degree of cleaning is varied when again adjustment may be made to acquire desired results.

Provision is also made for recovery of any loose fibers which have been carriedalong with the trash into the trash box 22. To accomplish this purpose a fiber inlet opening 35 communicating with the'trash box is provided in the wall of the low pressure conduit 25, positioned beyond the trashejecting opening. Since the low pressure conduit leads to a region of pressure less than that in the trash box, air will flow through fiber inlet opening 35 and carry the loose light fibers suspended in the trash box back into the'low pressure conduit. Deflector plates 36 and'37'are provided'to defiectthe heavier trash particles in: a downward direction.

Fiber inlet opening. 35- is adjusted-to maintain'a pressure difierential to permit the maximum amount of loose fiber recovery while preventing the r'e-entrance of undesirable trash particles into the discharge conduit.

Adjustable openings 38 and39 in the .walls of the trash 1 box provide for'the admission of'air to regulate thepressure within the trash box;

. We claim: i 1. Avfiber cleaner comprising; a rotatable'fiber processing. cylinder onto' which are. fed fibers containing titions along its bottom which extend the length of it to form troughs for the conveyance of the trash'andzleaving free space above saidtroughs for the conveyancesof'the fibers, a trash box and a low pressure conduiti leading therefrom, a divider between the fiber-trashseparttting conduit and the entrance to the low pressure conduit,

said divider being arectangular plate and: adjustable vertically, clockwise. and. counterclockwise to enable a variation in the division of fibers from trash as they flow from theJfiber-trash separating conduit, wherebythetrash box receives the trash'which is deflected by the divider as it flows from the troughs and the conduit of lesser pressure takes up the fibers as they are deflected: by the divider as they flow from the region above the troughs. 2. A fiber cleaner comprising; a rotatable fiber processing cylinder onto which are fedfibers containing, trash heavierthan the fibers, a rotatable dofier cylinder mounted parallel to and adjacent the processing. cylinder the adjacent face ofthe doffer' cylinder moving in the same direction as that of the processing cylinder but at a greater speed, a housing enclosing the dofier cylinder,

a fiber-trash separatingtconduit having its entrance adjacentthe processing and dofiEer cylinders, into;which air flows for conveyingthe fibers opened by the fiber processingand doffer cylinders, said conduit extending downwardly and curvinghorizontally and containing partitions along its bottom which extend the length of it to form troughs for the conveyance of the trash and leaving free space-above said troughsufor the conveyance of the fibers.

3. A fiber cleaner comprising; a rotatable fiber processing cylinder onto which are fed fibers containingtrash heavier than the fibers, a rotatable doffer'cylind'er'mounted parallel to and adjacent the processing cylinder, the

adjacent face of the doffer cylinder moving in the same direction as that of the, processing cylinder but at a I greater speed, a housing enclosing the dofier cylinder, a fiber-trash separating conduit having its entrance adjacent the processing and doffercylinders, into which air flows for conveying the fiber's' opened byjthe fiber processing auddofier cylinders, said conduit extending downwardly and curving horizontallyso that the heavier trash. fol i lows a path alongthe bottom or" thefiber-trashseparating conduit while the fibers follow a path along the top of the fiber-trash conduit, a trashibox anda low pressure conduit leading therefrom, a divider between the fibertrash separating conduit'and the entrance of the low pressure conduit, said divider being a rectangular vplate and adjustable vertically, clockwise and counterclockwise to enable a variation in division of fiber from trash as they flow from-the fiber-tra sh separating conduit, whereby the trash box receives the 'tra'sh which is: d'e'flected hy the divider as" its flbws from: the bottom? of theifiberitrashseparating conduit and theconduit oflessenpressure 1 takes-up the fi b ersias they are deflected: by thez'divider as they flow from the top portion of the fiber-trashzseparating conduit.

4; A fiber cleaner comprising, a rotatable" fiberp'rocessing. cylinder 'onto' which are fed fibers containing trashheavier th'anthe fibers, a: rotatable dofiercylinder mounted parallel to and adjacent the processing cylinder,

the adjacent face of" the dotter' cylinder: movingin the i samedirection as that-of the processing cylihderbut; at a greater speed, a housing'enclosing. the; doffer cylinder, a fiber-trash separating conduit having its entrance adjacent the processing a'nd dofier cylinders, irito'which'; air

flows for conveying the fibers-opened by the: fiber:proc-.

essingand dofler cylinders, said conduit extendingdownwardly and curving horizontally and containing partitions along its'b'ottom which extend'the length" of itto' form troughs for the conveyance ofthe: trash and leaving free space above said troughsfor theconveyance of the fibers, a trash box and a low pressure conduit leading therefrom, a divider between the fiber-trash separating conduit and the entrance to the-low pressure conduit, saiddivider being a rec-tangularplate-and adjustable to enable avariation in the division of' fibers from: trash as they: flow from the fiber trash separating-conduit, whereby the. trash box receives the trash which is defiectedby: the divider as it flows from the troughs an'd the. conduit of lesser pressure takes-upthe fibers as they are deflected by the divider as they flow from the region above the troughs.

References (Zitedin the. file of this patent. UNIT-ED STATES'PATENTS 1,276,355 Henry Aug. 20, 1918 1,786,904 .Evans .Dec. 30, 1,930

2,223,098 Farr Nov.--. 26, 1940 2,663,912 1953' 'Wallace Dec. '29, 

